Just judging from the popularity of our posts on the Husqvarna TR 650 Strada & Husqvarna TR 650 Terra, it seems you all are about as enthralled as we are with the latest models to come out of BMW’s little dirt bike brand — that is to say, not enthralled at all. Maybe it is because the Strada & Terra feel like a rebadged BMW GS, maybe it is the angular styling that Husqvarna has been applying to its on-road machines, or maybe it is because the Husqvarna brand seems to lack any real focus whatsoever.

Whatever the reason may be, hopefully it is due in-part to the fact that we didn’t really get a good look at the Husqvarna Strada & Husqvarna Terra motorcycles when they came out a couple days ago, as at that time the German-owned, Italian-based, Scandinavian brand only released a few basic studio shots for your retinal enjoyment. Fixing that problem now, 42 high-resolution photos await you in the gallery after the jump. Enjoy.

While I know that the Varese factory has (judging by sales over the last couple of years) been working well under capacity, I’m not sure that launching a range of bargain basement hacks in the middle of a pan – European financial crisis is the greatest idea ever. There’s never much money to be made in a race to the bottom, unless Beemer are letting the Italians have those Rotax engines for serious cheap…

But what else can Husky do? It’s worth noting that here in Europe the 450 thumper competition dirtbike is getting irrelevant – may prefer the smaller thumpers or strokers and the residual value of a 450 is pretty much zero. Likewise the supermoto scene is contracting and buying a SMR449 or 511 for road use is pretty impractical as major engine components are life rated in a few dozen hours. Perhaps the American and Australian markets are big enough to justify the 449 / 511 model range, but are the bikes making any money?

So, the roadbikes. Who is designing the aesthetics on these things? The Strada (and the Nuda for that matter) are an incoherent mess of random curves, angles and textures. Anonymous piles of parts, with no motif or signature. The Terra has a little of the 449 / 511 about it, but that’s not necessarily a good thing either. 400-odd lbs kerb weight is just too heavy for a single cylinder plodder too and screams of corner cutting in design. Why no 630 style chassis? Or something that apes the drop-dead gorgeous 250 / 310 dirtbikes?

I guess that there are some people who will buy a bike solely on price, regardless of how fugly it is, but does that generate brand loyalty, or even much cash?

frod04

if there was an award for Fugliest motorcycle of the year, then the 2012 Husqvarna TR 650 Terra would have no competition for first place. this bike a truly ugly

Sincerely,

A rider who is desperate to see a new bike that looks good from HusqHideous.

from North Haven, CT

Mitch

Depending on the price and the seat height, I could be interested in the Strada. It looks like it could possibly fill the sort of niche the Aprilia Pegaso left, though with admittedly a . . . different style.

Some people will buy a bike based solely on a price, regardless of its looks, and if the bike shows character and fun beyond the visual, that can generate some loyalty. This one appears to me midway between the dirt bikes and the Nuda’s aggressive, Transformer-like lines, and compromises rarely look striking.

Jonathan

Mitch: “…and compromises rarely look striking.”

Everything is a compromise – that’s why you hire talented designers! Getting the basic proportions right, tidying the details and giving the whole an identity needn’t cost the earth and makes all the difference. As it stands I’m seeing parts bin specials thrown together by accountants and covered with fit-where-they-touch cosmetic parts that don’t complement each other at all.

The Nuda is IMO nearly there and just needs a few cosmetic detail tweaks: maybe a bronze frame and some attention to the mess of pipes and plastic around the motor – which itself is no thing of beauty and would look better in simple gloss black. A bit of tweaking to the comedy front mudguard and exhaust wouldn’t go amiss either. Did any of the designers of the individual parts actually talk to each other, or even do a mockup before they slung it all together? It doesn’t look like it.

The 650s are a bit more of a task admittedly – the engine and apallingly naff perimeter frame are not a great starting point. But the designers have somehow managed to give the front end a “wheel on a stick” look, which appears cheap, awkward and unbalanced. No two lines on the body complement each other and close-ups of the engine / footrest area scream “utility”. The tank and lower rad cover don’t even appear to fit together. FFS! It costs nothing to get this stuff right! I’ve seen generators with more design aesthetic.

And put the Husky crown on the fuel tank!

fazer6

The “Rotax” 650 has been made in China since the X bikes, which is why BMW is trying to push it into so many bikes–Much more profitable now–But I like that Husky was able to coax another 10hp.

jackie

What an unappealing piece of industrial-design plastic afterbirth that abomination is.

I do like the red valve covers though…they should keep that.

Terrafly

It’s the right bike for Husky and I’ll buy a Terra. It’s not a dirt bike but it will do 95% what I would do with a dirt bike plus it’s got luggage carrying capacity, ho hack-job welding, gusset nonsense and reinforcements needed. The engines built proof and simple, very efficient, has 200+ mile legs and way more comfort, people need to look at this differently then a dirt bike……because it’s not. It’s much higher quality then a KLR, and it’s low maintenance, not an oil changing problem like most dirt bikes…….perfect if you ask me.

Teddy Pescadero

It is a dashing motorcycle and definitely has an impressive design. I think I can splurge on this if I ever get a bonus.